Glasgow Airport Movements 2020
March
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March 2020
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May 2020
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COVID-19: World at War
This month. within the space of a couple of weeks, the United Kingdom joined numerous other nations across the globe in a desperate battle to control the spread of potentially lethal COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, first identified in Wuhan, a landlocked province in Central China. The pathogen primarily spreads between people in a similar way to influenza, via respiratory droplets produced during coughing or sneezing. The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically five days, but may range from two to fourteen days, so carriers may be unaware that they have it.
If it wasn`t already apparent to most, at the end of this month, following the continued upsurge of cases and fatalities across the globe, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the current Coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak is the biggest challenge for the world since World War Two. He said, and many experts agree, that it will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in living memory. Apart from stringent hygiene, the most effective way to limit exposure is by social distancing. International and domestic transport basically ground to a halt, businesses large and small collapsed, many of these overnight leaving masses of people jobless and without funds. A desperate race to source, produce and distribute equipment and personal protective gear for front-line workers followed.
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By Tuesday 31 March, the number of confirmed cases around the world neared 900,000, tragically with more than 45,000 deaths. So far, over 190,000 people are recorded as having had COVID-19 but have since recovered. Spain and Italy are the worst European countries to be affected to date, but in the 24 hour period prior to 17:00 hrs on March 31, another 563 people died in the UK after testing positive, bringing the total number of deaths here to 2,352. Among the victims was a 13-year-old boy. The first death due to COVID-19 in the UK was a single fatality on 6 March which clearly illustrates the speed of infection. It`s said that Great Britain is just 2 weeks behind the even more horrendous situation faced by Spain and Italy. The total number of fatalities in the latter country stood close to 12,500 by month`s end with Spain`s fast approaching 8,500.
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As of Friday 13 March, United States President Donald Trump suspended air travel between the United States and Europe, including the UK. Trump made the announcement in an Oval Office address to the nation, blaming the European Union for not acting quickly enough to address the outbreak of the virus and saying US clusters were seeded by European travellers.
The death toll in the US had exceeded 4,000 by the end of the month which is already higher than the declared number of fatalities in China, where the outbreak began late last year. More than 189,000 people in America had been infected, with New York City and New York State being the epicentre, but President Trump, true to form, said that the country could beat the virus by Easter. |
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Trump also announced the US would defer tax payments for some businesses affected for three months to lessen the financial impact of the threat. Stocks and shares worldwide quickly tumbled. Congress, for its part, unveiled a multi-billion dollar aid package as major sporting fixtures were cancelled, plus attractions including Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, closed until further notice. Cruise ships across the globe either returned to their home ports, or dropped anchor offshore until authorities decided how best to deal with their passengers. Cruise companies also braced for a massive financial hit. In Europe, a domino effect saw Disneyland Paris, numerous museums and other places of interest close their doors to face an uncertain future.
Scenes from New York City after movement restrictions were imposed in an attempt to thwart the spread of COVID-19; Times Square is pictured below...
(US images © NBC / Newsweek / Reuters, FT & Business Insider.)
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Above right: American Airlines` jets in storage. Thousands of passenger aircraft are similarly parked up. The current situation will likely be the final straw for Boeing`s troubled 737 MAX. Hundreds were already in storage for an undetermined period pending a solution to the flawed computer software which contributed to two fatal accidents involving the type. Once things get back up and running, many carriers will seek to streamline their fleets, at least initially when demand for seats will be far lower than before, and it`s unlikely taking delivery of the new MAX airliners will be a priority, especially given the type`s history and lack of public confidence. The following view shows 737 MAX jets parked in employee car parks at Boeing Field, Seattle, due to lack of storage space. (Image © Bloomberg.com).
Following the unprecedented downturn in air travel, BA elected to store some of its A321 and A320s at Glasgow. The first batch arrived on Tuesday 17 March.
Flybe collapse
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On Wednesday 4 March, even before the pandemic took hold across the British Isles, struggling airline Flybe admitted that it was facing fresh doubts over its future despite the announcement of a possible rescue package. The proposed £100m government loan to help stabilise the business until the end of the month proved too little too late, especially taking into account the likely impact of Coronavirus on its bookings.
Flybe, which had operated almost 40% of UK domestic flights, went into administration in the early hours of Thursday 5 March, with the loss of 2,400 jobs. The carrier was the fourth UK airline to go bust in a little over two years, following just months after the demise of travel group Thomas Cook. The GMB union warned that up to 1,700 further job losses at airports and in the supply chain could follow. It claimed eight regional airports could close, where more than half of the routes were filled by Flybe... 
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Flybe’s chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: “The UK has lost one of its greatest regional assets. Flybe has been a key part of the UK aviation industry for four decades, connecting regional communities, people and businesses across the entire nation.”
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One of the worst-hit airports was Southampton where Flybe was responsible for 95% of all flights. Apart from the airline`s staff, numerous people soon found themselves out of work, whether part of the airport management team, in ground handling companies, shop workers, local taxi and car hire companies, and many of those in the supply chain. Demand for regional connectivity remains and is seen as vital for many communities. Although things at Southampton initially looked bleak, a spokesperson for airport said that back-filling and rebuilding its route network had already seen success in securing the services of Loganair and Eastern Airways. There are also plans to extend the runway which would enable larger airliners to operate into Europe, enabling thousands of travellers in the south to avoid the congested hubs of Heathrow and Gatwick. Unfortunately, the optimistic outlook was short lived with the effects of Coronavirus kicking in soon after this announcement was made.
When Flybe folded, British Airways quickly reacquired 12 London Heathrow slots from the defunct regional carrier. These had originally been divested to satisfy competition regulators. Flybe had opened services from LHR in 2017 after obtaining slots from Virgin Atlantic’s short-haul subsidiary Little Red, which stopped operating in 2015. Virgin Atlantic had acquired 12 daily slots at Heathrow in 2012, after they were released by BA parent IAG as part of a regulatory remedy to address competition concerns when it took over rival BMI. BA had intended to use its new slots for five daily services to Edinburgh, three to Aberdeen, and four to Newquay, using Airbus A319s instead of Flybe’s turboprop Dash 8s but the situation is no longer clear; Flybe had been holding a peak allocation of 204 weekly slots at Heathrow for summer 2020.
Three Flybe DHC8-4s, namely G-JECP,G-JEDV and G-ECOB, were impounded at Glasgow following the collapse. They are pictured here early on Thursday 5 March. They were towed to Area R on the 18th for long term storage. Soon after, various jet airliners began to arrive: British Airways A321 and A320s parked up on Taxiway Yankee and these were followed by TUI 737s and a couple of Virgin Atlantic heavies. Although Glasgow could easily accommodate more airliners on Taxiway Y, which is the old runway, safety regulations mean that enough space must be left around each plane to allow for periodic engine runs.
The trio of ex-Flybe Dash 8s on Area R. Saturday 21 March 2020.
Scottish carrier Loganair was quick to step in after Flybe ceased trading, taking on a number of routes left vacant. The expansion required the recruitment of additional personnel, whether pilots, cabin crew or for ground / admin operations and ex-Flybe staff were grateful to be given priority for any new positions.
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Loganair had already announced that it had entered into a code-share agreement with KLM and this kicked-off on 29 March, although the benefits of the new partnership were short-lived. Once the COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted, the network extension should hopefully see both carriers offering more destinations including joint flights to Orkney, the Shetland Islands, and the Scottish Western Isles. Loganair currently connects to the extensive KLM network via Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
Edinburgh: Six Nations Scotland v France Rugby Charters
Trade Air A320-214 9A-BTH was operating flights to Toulouse and Grenoble.
Every two years, Scotland play France at Murrayfield, a clash which attracts a large number of travelling French supporters, most of whom make their way to the the Scottish capital by air. Traditionally, most of the airliners stay over until the Monday morning to allow the French fans to celebrate or, as it turned out on this occasion, to drown their sorrows in Edinburgh`s bars, restaurants and clubs. France's hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam were shattered after a revitalised Scotland inflicted their fourth consecutive Murrayfield defeat on the visitors. Final score: Scotland 28-17 France.
The game was played on Sunday 8 March 2020 and, having been through to Edinburgh to catch some of the charter flights in February 2018, I returned on Monday 9 March this year expecting another crop of interesting planes, including some seldom seen at Scottish airports. However, in complete contrast to the match, the aircraft situation was a disappointment; almost every flight was operated by an Enter Air or ASL Airlines` Boeing 737, with some planes making return visits during the day. There wasn`t a great deal of business traffic either although the appearance of Cessna Citation Latitude F-HSFJ (see Biz Jet Section below) at Glasgow on the 8th was likely connected with the match.
Above: A Qatar Airways Airbus A350 heads back to Doha from Edinburgh on 9 March. This carrier was one of the last major operators to drastically cut back on its passenger flights following the escalation of the COVID-19 outbreak. Cargo flights across the board continue as normal and are essential for numerous reasons, including the delivery of provisions and other day-to-day needs, as well as distributing vital medical supplies and personal protection equipment for front-line workers.
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Given the escalating situation regarding the Coronavirus, I was surprised to hear over the scanner that one of the Ryanair flights departing from Edinburgh early on Monday 9 March was bound for Bergamo. Initially it was only northern Italy that was subject to increasingly stringent travel restrictions, but now the whole country is effectively in lock down. The disease continued to spread at an alarming rate which led to the World Health Organisation (WHO) classing the threat as a pandemic. This is defined as the worldwide spread of a new disease, whereas an outbreak is the occurrence of cases beyond normal expectations, and an epidemic is an excess amount of people with an illness, or other health-related event, but contained for the most part in a community or region.
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The impact of the disease on air travel has been swift and devastating. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, effectively closed their borders and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all but essential travel to parts of Spain as well as the whole of Poland. US travel restrictions hit all transatlantic routes from the middle of March, further denting an already struggling aviation sector. The UK's airlines have warned that the industry may not survive the Coronavirus pandemic without emergency financial support and have asked the government for a package worth several billion pounds.
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Normally packed year-round, this was Milan`s Duomo square and St Mark`s Square, Venice, earlier this month. (Images © UPI / RFI / France 24).
Here, workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant inside USA-bound planes at Incheon International Airport, South Korea. The Coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of protective masks and other supplies for front-line doctors, nurses and emergency services personnel. (Following image © Business Insider Magazine).
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Mid-morning on Saturday 14 March, a number of Jet2 flights bound for Spain turned around in mid-air as the country announced it was now in lockdown. The notice on the left appeared on the carrier`s Twitter page soon after.
Norwegian, which had already been struggling prior to the Coronavirus spread, faces even more challenging times ahead, as do numerous other commercial operators. Major US carriers, including American Airlines,quickly laid-up most of their extensive fleets with planes serving international routes joining them after bringing the country`s stranded citizens home. Right: I took this shot of a Stateside-bound high-flying American Airlines widebody as it passed over Paisley on 13 March (Following Image © Getty). |
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Jet Airliners
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Many carriers with large fleets had to distribute their planes among various UK airfields for long term storage. British Airways sent six Airbus A321s and an A320 to Glasgow, all of which parked up on Taxiway Yankee. The aircraft involved were A321s G-EUXC call-sign BAW9254, G-EUXG c/s BAW9255, G-EUXH c/s BAW9256, G-EUXK c/s BAW9257, G-EUXL c/s BAW9258, G-EUXM c/s BAW9259, plus A320 G-MIDT c/s BAW9251, all of which flew up from London on Tuesday 17 March. Virgin Boeing 747-41R G-VXLG arrived for storage on the 19th.
The following day, they were joined by Airbus A330-223 G-VMIK Virgin Atlantic (above), plus the following BA Airbuses: A320-232s G-EUUF c/s BAW9253, G-EUYH c/s BAW9255, G-EUYM c/s BAW9258 and A319-131 G-DBCE BAW9254. The Virgin A330 parked beside the company Jumbo on a stand next to the Loganair hangar. Three additional British Airways A321-231s, G-MEDF, G-MEDG and G-MEDU, flew up on the 31st for storage. London Gatwick Airport ceased all commercial flights until further notice later that day.
These shots show the first batch of BA Airbuses to appear at Glasgow.
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easyJet was heavily involved in bringing travellers back to the UK as services began to shut down. The following shot was taken late afternoon on the 17th...
On Monday 30 March, however, easyJet, which had up until then flown 650 rescue flights repatriating around 45,000 Britons stranded abroad, took the decision to ground its entire fleet. The budget airline said that it had made the move due to the unprecedented travel restrictions imposed by governments globally in an attempt to combat the pandemic. This announcement was a major blow to the hundreds of thousands of anxious UK nationals abandoned, not just in other European countries, but across the world who have no means of returning home. The number of commercial flights available is reducing daily and most of those still operating are charging exorbitant fares. Later the same day, however, following much adverse criticism regarding lack of action, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, intimated that those stranded abroad would be flown home under a new arrangement between the government and various UK carriers. British Airways, Virgin, Jet2 and Titan are among airlines that have agreed to bring Britons back to the UK, and easyJet planes will fly once again under this scheme, for which £75 million has been pledged.
The above slideshow features shots of the stored aircraft on approach, arriving or parked up on various days between 17 and 20 March.
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Many of the world's airports are being transformed into storage facilities for planes as airlines wind down their operations. Frankfurt Airport, Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, among others, have closed runways and taxiways to accommodate surplus aircraft from major carriers.
These BBC News shots show aircraft stored at various UK airports as a result of the pandemic: Bournemouth (above) is now home to numerous airliners from the British Airways fleet. YouTube has drone footage showing the current situation: Click here to view. |
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London City Airport is pictured above, although since this shot was taken most of the BA Cityflyer Embraer E170 and E190s have relocated to either Norwich or Southend airports. I believe the following image of parked British Airways Boeing 747s was taken at Cardiff. (Image credits: © BBC /AFP; Getty; Reuters; PA Media and NPAS.)
TUI planes parked up at Glasgow on 27 March: Boeing 757-204(WL) G-BYAY, plus Boeing 737-8K5(WL)s G-TAWX and G-FDZD. The following Jet2 737s, one of which is parked between the Virgin Atlantic heavies in the shot below, were also in storage here by month`s end: G-JZBA,G-JZBB,G-JZBC,G-JZBE,G-JZHM,G-JZHU and G-JZHZ. Half-a-dozen Loganair Embraer jets were also laid up.
Even before the travel restrictions and downturn in flights took effect there had been little in the way of noteworthy airliners visiting Glasgow this month. I had hoped that this winter would provide a snow covered mountain backdrop for aircraft on approach for Runway 05, but despite the high tops north of the Central belt receiving a decent dump earlier in the year, the winds blew mainly from the west, or skies were too cloudy. It was mid-March before optimum wind direction, sunny skies and reasonable visibility combined but by that time most of the snow had melted.
Above: easyJet A319-111 G-EZAJ on approach for Runway 05. Friday 20 March 2020.
A fine view of Ben Lomond, Scotland`s most-southerly Munro. (a peak attaining a height of 3,000ft or above).
Triple-seven A6-EGJ is seen here moments from landing on 16 March with A6-ECT (below) snapped the next day. As per an UAE government directive, Emirates temporarily suspended all passenger services from 25 March 2020. The carrier had been due to resume operating its A380 into Glasgow at the end of this month but COVID-19 put paid to that. The Super Jumbo was utilised on the lunchtime flight from Dubai last summer with a Boeing 777 continuing to cover the evening flight. The carrier had again planned to revert to two Triple-sevens over the winter 2020/2021 but the big aircraft proved so popular with travellers that the company announced it would continue to fly here year-round. It now remains to be seen whether the A380 will reappear on the Dubai-Glasgow route this year.
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From mid-March, sporting fixtures worldwide took a hit with all kinds of events, whether large or small, postponed or cancelled altogether. Rangers and Celtic were both still in Europe at the beginning of the month which saw a few football-related charters visiting Glasgow. The airliners pictured here: Eurowings Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWT and TUI Boeing 737-86J(WL) D-ABMV (f/v) in Cewe Fotobuch Livery, appeared in connection with the Rangers v Bayern Leverkusen match at Ibrox on 12 March. These will likely be the last football-related charters we`ll see for a while.
I only managed a rather grainy shot of the TUI airliner when it was on stand at Glasgow but had better luck a couple of years ago when I photographed its sister aircraft, Boeing 737-8K5 D-ATUH, at Corfu Airport under sunny skies. It made several appearances during the week and is pictured above lining up for a Runway 35 departure on Saturday 2 June 2018. Corfu, although not the busiest, is one of the best airports in Europe for photography and I`ve been fortunate to visit the island numerous times. Sadly, I won`t be back now. More shots taken there in recent years can be accessed via my main Corfu Airport page.
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Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
Above: A bedraggled swan and a few ducks watch as Air Transat A330-243 C-GUBF lift-offs on the return flight to Toronto on a dismal March 12.
Even aircraft long-familiar on the international routes serving Glasgow are likely to be few and far between now, certainly for the remainder of this year.
Airliners visiting this month included; Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair (Aurora Borealis livery) and Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKK (f/v) Ryanair Sun (2nd); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPF Emirates (Expo 2020 green livery) (3rd); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPL Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (4th); Embraer ERJ-190AR EI-GHK Stobart Air (5th); Airbus A320-251N G-TTNK British Airways (f/v) (6th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPU Emirates (Expo 2020 green) plus Boeing 737-86J(WL) D-ABMV (f/v) TUI fly (11th); Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWT Eurowings (12th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPB Emirates (Expo 2020 blue) and Airbus A320-251N G-UZLJ easyJet (f/v) (13th); Boeing 777 A6-EPB returned (14th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENR Emirates (Expo 2020 orange) (18th); Airbus A321-251NX G-NEOZ (f/v) British Airways (21st); Airbus A320-214 EI-DEC Aer Lingus (25th); Airbus A310-308 C-GSAT Air Transat (possibly the carrier`s last ever A310 flight to / from Glasgow) and Airbus A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby Team Livery) (26th); A320-214 EI-CVA Aer Lingus and Embraer ERJ-135ER G-SAJU (f/v) (ex G-RJXK) Loganair (27th); A320-214 EI-CVB Aer Lingus (28th); A320-216 EI-FNJ (f/v) Aer Lingus (29th).
Below: Icelandair Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIK Bláfjall burns some rubber on landing. Tuesday 17 March 2020...
Turboprop Airliners
All-white Loganair ATR 72-600 G-FBXA (f/v) (above) called in on 3 March on a journey from Aarhus, Denmark, to Aberdeen. Stobart Air ATR 72-600 EI-GPO (f/v) appeared on the 10th. Swearingen SA.227DC Metro 23 OY-NPE of Danish outfit North Flying visited on the 11th followed by French-registered ATR 72-500 F-WTBA (f/v) on the 12th. Apart from these, it was just the usual suspects.
Above: ATR 72-600 EI-FAU about to line-up for takeoff on Tuesday 17 March.
Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), reviewed the operating hours at each of its 11 airports in response to the COVID-19 situation. By the end of the month, the frequency of flights had been drastically reduced, but a skeleton schedule recognising the vital role these airports play was put in place. This ensured that vital flights, including NHS passenger transfer, the Royal Mail, oil and gas, and any required emergency flights can be accommodated. The airports are also available for emergencies at all times.
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The airports operated by HIAL are at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness (left), Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick. All are served by Loganair with Hebridean providing additional connections to some locations.
HIAL`s Managing Director, Inglis Lyon, said: “Our airports are unique in that their core role is to provide lifeline services for our communities in the Highlands and Islands. They are essential to the continued delivery of medical and other critical supplies, the transport of key workers and also enable emergency flights for island communities. Now more than ever there is a need to safeguard those vital services." (Images © HIAL/ Daily Record). |
Biz-Jets
Gulfstream G650ER VP-CYL parked on the north-side. Sunday 8 March 2020.
Traditionally still a fairly quiet time for corporate jets but COVID-19 had a marked impact on the number of biz visiting this month and nearly all appeared during the first half: Bombardier Challenger C-GORD, Citation Bravo D-CHZF Tyrol Air Ambulance and Learjet 60 D-CFAQ (f/v) (2nd); Bombardier Challenger 350 CS-CHA and CitationJet CJ1 9H-GIO (3rd); CitationJet 9H-GIO left and returned (4th); Gulfstream IV N151SD (f/v), Citation M1 M-KNOX and Phenom 300 LX-TAC (f/v) (6th); Gulfstream G650ER VP-CYL (7th); Embraer Legacy 600 G-LEGC, Cessna Citation Latitude F-HSFJ (f/v) and Phenom 300 D-CSCE (8th); Cessna Citation XLS SE-RIL (9th)...
Cessna Citation XLS G-LEAX (11th); Embraer ERJ 135BJ Legacy 650 G-WIRG Air Charter Scotland (13th); Gulfstream IV N818ME (f/v) (14th); Embraer Legacy 500 G-ESNA and Phenom 300 D-CTOR (f/v) (16th); Cessna Citation Bravo G-CMBC (18th); Citation XLS+ D-CEFO (22nd); Citation Bravo OE-GPS Tyrol Air Ambulance (24th); Citation X D-BEEP Air X Charter (30th).
Embraer Legacy 600 G-LEGC and Phenom 300 LX-TAC on Area Juliet. Sunday 8 March 2020.
Chinese-registered Global 6000 B-7699 (f/v) (above) of ZYB Lily Jet / Yaqi Group, pictured here occupying the Royal Pan on Saturday 21 March, would be a somewhat unusual visitor to Glasgow at any time, but even more so during the current crisis. It had arrived from Shenyang the previous day. The other shots show Phenom 300 D-CTOR (f/v) on short finals for Runway 23 on the 16th.
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COP 26
One of the city`s major events falling victim to the Coronavirus emergency is the United Nations Climate Change Conference which had been due to take place between Monday 9 - Friday 20 November 2020. Up to 90,000 people including delegates, observers, heads of state and media, were expected to attend with the associated security operation estimated to be the largest ever mobilisation of police officers in the UK.
From the aviation enthusiast`s point of view, this would have been a very interesting time. COP 26 was set to be the largest summit the UK has held, with up to 200 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump anticipated for the final weekend of talks and attendees were expected to peak at 15,000 on the busiest day. |
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Even though the nature of the conference would have seen many participants use green modes of transport, there would have been plenty of unusual movements, whether civil airliners and biz-jets, government and military transports, at all three of Scotland`s main airports; certainly enough to keep the aircraft photographers snapping away. As it stands, the event has only been postponed rather than cancelled, but concerns had already been raised regarding the cost of hosting the conference in Scotland rather than London, and putting the massive security operation in place.
General Aviation
Eurocopter EC145 T2 G-GSAS, pictured here on 17 March, is a fairly new addition to the Scottish Ambulance Glasgow-based fleet.
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Once again, only a few visitors worth mentioning in this category: King Air 200 G-REXA (1st); King Air 200 M-CDMS and Cirrus SR22 N224CE (f/v) (3rd); Pilatus PC-12 OK-CTP (f/v) (4th); King Air 90GTi M-TSRI (5th); King Air 350 G-SRBM and King Air 200 G-REXA again (6th); King Air 350 M-LLMW (9th); King Air 200 G-YVIP (10th)...
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain G-IFIT (11th); King Air 350 M-LLMW returned, plus King Air 200 G-RAFL (12th); King Air 200 G-RAFL returned (14th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (f/v) (16th); King Air 200 G-DXTR and Piper PA-28 Warrior II G-LFSJ (f/v) (19th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL and Eurocopter EC-145T-2 G-ISAS (f/v) (20th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (23rd); King Air 200 G-FLYK (24th); King Air 200 G-GMAE and Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (26th). |
These shots show Manx-registered King Air 200GT M-CDBM using a `Vickers` call-sign on approach for Runway 05 on 13 March. The aircraft was on the ground only briefly before returning to Walney Island off the Cumbrian Coast. The small airport (Barrow/Walney Island Airport) near Barrow-in-Furness is privately owned by BAE Systems. The airfield dates from 1935 and was initially used for military purposes. Barrow council purchased the facility after the Second World War, then it was purchased by Vickers in 1968, remaining with the company's successors ever since. A few attempts to operate scheduled passenger services from the airport have been made, none of which lasted longer than two years.
King Air 200 G-RAFL and King Air 350 M-LLMW made multiple visits this month. They`re pictured here on Thursday 12 March.
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I snapped AgustaWestland AW189 G-MCGS from my house as the HM Coastguard chopper flew east above the Clyde on 6 March, possibly en route to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (above). The Charity Air Ambulance machine (below right) was checking out landing approaches to the QEUH and the Royal Alexandria Hospital (RAH) at Paisley on the afternoon of the 20th.
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Below: The RAH can be seen in the foreground with Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Abbey beyond...
The Golden Jubilee Hospital on the north bank of the Clyde at Dalmuir is another local facility with a heli-pad.
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The River Clyde and the Black Cart Water were flowing higher than usual on Thursday 12 March when these shots were taken.
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Military
Like thousands of others, I`d already reserved my tickets for this year`s RIAT in July but along with the Farnborough Airshow, Cosford Air Show and Royal Navy International Air Day at Yeovilton, the Fairford event has been cancelled which was inevitable considering the current COVID-19 threat. The RIAT organisers hope to reinstate the Tattoo in 2021 which would prove extremely challenging even if by then the virus is contained to an acceptable level. Shots taken at last year`s show can be viewed here.
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On Friday 13 March, the latest addition to the RAF's £3 billion P-8A Poseidon MRA Mk.1 fleet, ZP802 (02), touched down in Moray, having flown in from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, in Florida. Named `City of Elgin` to acknowledge the military`s long standing connections with the community, the aircraft, aided by strong tailwinds, landed at Kinloss Barracks earlier than expected, around 10:45 hrs.
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ZP802 is the second in the line-up of nine new Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to be received at Kinloss while the runway and facilities at RAF Lossiemouth are being upgraded to accommodate MPA operations. There will be a new air traffic control tower, hangars and housing for personnel. The Poseidon fleet will operate out of Kinloss Barracks until October, when it will move to its permanent home to join the four front-line Typhoon Squadrons currently based there.
The RAF took delivery of the first P-8, ZP801 `Pride of Moray`, at the beginning of last month. Crews from CXX Squadron have already been operating around the UK’s waters, using the aircraft`s world-class sensor suite to locate, track and identify surface and sub-surface vessels. They will protect the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and be central to NATO missions across the North Atlantic, co-operating closely with the US and Norwegian Poseidon fleets. Each Poseidon carries sonobuoys which are dropped from the aircraft into the sea to search for enemy submarines, surveying under the sea and relaying data back to the aircraft. They will also be armed with Harpoon anti-surface ship missiles and Mk.54 torpedoes capable of attacking both surface and sub-surface targets. |
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Inexcusably for an island nation, the UK had been without its own specialised maritime patrol aircraft for almost a decade following the withdrawal of the troubled Nimrod. Designed in response to a requirement issued by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to replace its fleet of ageing Avro Shackletons, the Nimrod MR.1/MR.2s were primarily fixed-wing aerial platforms for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations; secondary roles included maritime surveillance and anti-surface warfare. The type served from the early 1970s until March 2010.
The intended replacement was to be extensively rebuilt Nimrod MR.2s, designated Nimrod MRA.4; however due to considerable delays, repeated cost overruns, and financial cutbacks, the development of the MRA.4 was abandoned in 2010. |
The first RAF P-8A Poseidon MRA Mk.1 ZP801 (f/v) (above) which had been crew training at Prestwick on Wednesday 4 March did two touch-and-goes on Runway 23 at Glasgow about 15:50 hrs that afternoon. This was followed by another RAF heavy in the shape of Boeing E-3D Sentry ZH106 call-sign `NATO 32` which did a touch-and-go here on the same runway on Friday 6 March. (Poseidon images © RAF/ MOD).
In recent weeks, before the dramatic spread of COVID-19 concentrated the world`s attention, inbound Russian military aircraft came close to British airspace on three separate occasions. Probes such as these, by Soviet planes, were frequent during the Cold War era and continue to this day, with the intruders testing the UK and NATO`s response to any likely incursion.
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One alert was on Saturday 7 March 2020 when Russian bombers were tracked heading towards the north-west coast of Scotland. It prompted the RAF to deploy three pairs of Typhoons from its Quick Reaction Alert programme. Two pairs took off from Lossiemouth in Moray, while the third pair flew from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Flying in formation, two pairs approached the aircraft before withdrawing, while the third pair forced them to change course.
The Russian long-range aircraft were later identified as Tupolev Tu Bears, which are used both as strategic bombers and long-range maritime patrol planes. The total number of Russian aircraft involved in this particular incident has not been revealed. |
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An RAF spokesperson said: "This was a routine response to Russian aircraft approaching UK air space and was coordinated with several other NATO allies, At no point did these aircraft enter UK sovereign airspace. The Russian planes were shadowed by our Typhoons, along with (Quick Reaction Alert) aircraft from our NATO partners in Norway and France. We are ready to respond to any unidentified aircraft and potential airborne threats, 24/7, 365 days of the year."
In another incident last month, RAF jets were scrambled from Lossiemouth after reports of unidentified aircraft flying towards UK airspace. The potential intruders, thought to have been Russian bombers, were spotted off Shetland. They were not intercepted as they remained outside of the area considered UK airspace. (Typhoon / Bear images © MOD / Crown copyright). |
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Later on 6 March, after Boeing E-3D Sentry ZH106 did its touch-and-go at Glasgow, US Air Force MC-12W Liberty 08-0329 (f/v) (above) call-sign `Elvis 18` arrived for a night stop. US Army MC-12S Huron 11-00268 (f/v) (c/s `Elvis 69`) did likewise on 11th / 12th. The Beechcraft C-12 is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are also used by the United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. These aircraft are used for various duties, including embassy support, medical evacuation, as well as passenger and light cargo transport. Some aircraft are modified with surveillance systems for a variety of intelligence gathering missions. The MC-12S (EMARSS-S) is the US Army`s designation for its modified MC-12W aircraft.
Back at Glasgow, Lockheed KC-130T tanker 165352/NY, of the US Marine Corps, using the call-sign `Yankee 98`, arrived about 17:00 hrs on Monday 9 March and parked up on Taxiway`Y` for an overnight stop. RAF BAe146-100 CC.2 ZE700 paid a visit on the 24th. Grob Tutor T1s G-BYXO (f/v) and G-CGKR of the University Air Squadron appeared on Friday 13 March. The locally-based UAS aircraft managed a fair number of training sorties during the month.
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Royal Air Force helicopters have been put on standby as part of a UK-wide coronavirus aviation task force to support the NHS. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said the force will help with medical transports, as well as general assistance including the movement of personnel and equipment.
Three RAF Pumas were sent to Kinloss Barracks in Moray at the end of last month as part of this initiative. They are believed to be XW204, XW220 and ZA940, all of which showed at Prestwick prior to heading north for their temporary base. On Sunday 29 March, Puma HC.2 XW220, using the call-sign `Warlock One` also visited Glasgow. |
Joint Warrior JW 20:1
Despite the current pandemic, JW 20:1, the latest of the twice-yearly Joint Warrior military exercises went ahead between Friday 28 March and Thursday 9 April 2020, albeit on a drastically reduced scale. These are usually large events with numerous warships berthing on the Clyde at either Faslane Naval Base or Glasgow`s KGV Dock before hand, but unsurprisingly the COVID-19 emergency impacted proceedings. I thought that the escalating spread of the virus would have resulted in the cancellation of the exercise altogether but several naval vessels could be tracked at the end of the month, operating in the exercise area off Scotland`s west coast.
Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS Sutherland (F81) (above) and an unidentified Norwegian submarine had called in at HMNB Clyde for a briefing, while HDMS Absalon (L16) of the Royal Danish Navy and Type 704 Rhön-class tanker FGS Rhön (A1443) took up station directly. It`s thought that the aforementioned warships were joined in the exercise area by USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the British auxiliary ship RFA Tideforce (A139) and Norway`s KNM Otto Sverdrup (F312). Serco Marine`s multi-purpose auxiliary vessel SD Northern River was also operating in the area. The only image I could find online of any of the participating vessels was the above view of HMS Sutherland heading out to sea at the start of proceedings. Image © Wikipedia / Dave Souza. The shot was obviously taken from Lyle Hill above Greenock, a superb viewpoint on clear days.
Following Carrier images © Reuters.com / Business Insider Magazine. Above shot of NATO MCMVs & Charles de Gaulle flight deck image © Seawaves Magazine.
It also appeared that, for the first time in years, Prestwick didn`t host any Joint Warrior aircraft. The last few exercises saw not only the usual Cobham Falcons and RAF and RN Hawks based there, but Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPAs) from various NATO nations. The latter types usually operate from Lossiemouth during the event but as the Moray base was being upgraded to accommodate the RAF`s new Poseidons, the Ayrshire airport proved an excellent alternative. Once things get back to normal, however, hopefully in time for this year`s second JW, the MPAs will probably be back at Lossie - having the additional planes at Prestwick was great while it lasted!
Between 19 - 22 March, the French Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle conducted its first deployment to the eastern North Sea region in a decade. As part of the deployment, the carrier strike group exercised with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) in waters off Jutland, Denmark. Earlier in the month, as Charles de Gaulle transited the Mediterranean Sea, she participated in cross-deck inter-operability exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The unique opportunity allowed pilots from both navies to land and launch on the two flight decks while the leaders of each strike group met aboard both carriers for a tour and an opportunity to observe their respective pilots operate aboard a foreign naval vessel.
In total, two U.S. naval aviators flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet and four French aviators, flying the French Rafale M and an E-2C Hawkeye, conducted carrier operations including touch-and-go’s and one trap and recovery on each carrier. Additionally, each country moved personnel and parts between the two ships via helicopter throughout the duration of the exercise. This was not the first time that the two huge carriers have worked alongside one another though. The two vessels conducted joint operations in Support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.
In total, two U.S. naval aviators flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet and four French aviators, flying the French Rafale M and an E-2C Hawkeye, conducted carrier operations including touch-and-go’s and one trap and recovery on each carrier. Additionally, each country moved personnel and parts between the two ships via helicopter throughout the duration of the exercise. This was not the first time that the two huge carriers have worked alongside one another though. The two vessels conducted joint operations in Support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.
Had JW 20:1 went ahead fully, as intended, the French carrier, which would have likely been within range at the time, may have become involved in some way. Although there wasn`t much chance that she would make an appearance on the Clyde at the end of proceedings, perhaps one or two of her Rafale multi-role fighter jets may have overshot or landed at Prestwick - we`ll never know!
Postscript: On Wednesday 8 April 2020, the French Navy announced that their carrier is returning to its home port of Toulon after an outbreak of coronavirus on board. The vessel was thought to have at least 40 cases of COVID-19 among its compliment of around 2,000 men and women and a screening team with specialist equipment were helicoptered in to assess the situation before the carrier docked. Although Charles de Gaulle has a hospital with a dozen beds, and respirators, helicopters were on standby to transfer any sailors in urgent need of more advanced medical treatment to a mainland facility. At least one case of COVID-19 contamination was also reported in March aboard Belgian Navy frigate BNS Léopold 1 during its deployment with the French carrier strike group. The vessel has since returned to its home port of Zeebrugge. (Above image © NATO).
Construction & Development
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It was confirmed this month that planning permission has been granted for the new manufacturing centre of expertise next to Glasgow Airport. The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) will include a skills academy and industry-led research and development facilities. NMIS aims to support businesses across the country and attract investment. It is a key part of the Scottish government's manufacturing action plan, which aims to help Scotland become a world leader in advanced manufacturing.
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The facility at the 52-hectare Netherton Campus in Renfrewshire is being supported by, among others, the Scottish government, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and Renfrewshire Council. More than £65m is being invested in the centre, including £8m by Strathclyde, which is the facility's anchor university, and £48m by the Scottish government. It will form part of the developing advanced manufacturing innovation district, which includes the Advanced Forming Research Centre at Inchinnan and the new Lightweight Manufacturing Centre in Renfrew.
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With regard to the actual NMIS centre building, no date has been set for the start of construction, but preparatory work funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal on the district's enabling infrastructure was progressing at a steady pace. Those behind the project maintain that once fully developed, the district could potentially attract up to 6,000 jobs and deliver an annual economic injection of £535m. Computer generated `fly-through` aerial views on the Paisley.is website show how the airport and surrounding area will look once the project is complete: click here to view.
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These shots of the preparatory work for the new cycleway / pedestrian footbridge over the Black Cart were taken on 16 March.
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On Sunday 8 March, five Roe Deer were grazing in the fields between Walkinshaw Road and the south bank of the Black Cart Water. The river was much wider than usual and flowing fast thanks to the high spring tide and saturated ground following a spell of heavy rainfall. The Roe is one of the truly native deer of the British Isles, the other being the Red deer. Records of them date to before the Mesolithic period (6000 to 10000 years BC). They are abundant throughout the British Isles but are not found in Northern Ireland. They are often spotted close to the airport and I`ve seen them numerous times in all seasons.
Although Roes favour the edges of woodland and forests, they are increasingly entering areas closer to our towns and cities as large tracts of countryside disappear due to housing development etc. The animals` coats vary in colour throughout the year, being most distinguishable in the summer when they appear as bright rusty red. In winter, their coats turn a dull, slate grey colour. Both sexes have a prominent white rump and no tail although females (does) have a small tuft of hair similar to a tail at the base of the rump patch throughout the winter.
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The shots in the slideshow on the left were taken on various days this month and include wildlife snapped at other locations close to the airport, including my garden.
As of Tuesday 24 March, unprecedented restrictions were put in place by the UK Government to prohibit gatherings and unnecessary movement in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Cafes, pubs, restaurants and most high street shops apart from supermarkets and off-licences closed. All non-essential work ceased, including the majority of the UK`s construction projects, including the new development beside Glasgow Airport (below). |
These shots of the new footpath at the south end of Abbotsinch Road were taken shortly before the government`s ban halted operations.
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March 2020
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May 2020
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